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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bound — obliged
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — hurry
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — to keep track
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — the underground
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — in golf
  19. track — a path
  20. bound — certain
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kid — child
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com